Northern CA Freshwater Fishing Report

Thousands of spring run king salmon due to be killed

BY JIM JONES/WON Staff WriterPublished: Jun 05, 2013

OROVILLE — Guide Dave Jacobs of Professional Guide Service and representatives from fishing organizations Golden Gate Fishing Association, Water for Fish and Norcal Guides Association met last week with DWR representatives to discuss the status of the spring run king salmon run on the Feather River.

The good news is that this is the second year in a row that the Feather is seeing a very large run of beautiful kings. The bad news? Anglers are still not being permitted to fish for them and most of the kings will be killed and given away, as happened last year.

Jacobs has regularly visiting the Feather River Hatchery and estimates that 10,000 to 15,000 salmon have already entered the hatchery, been tagged, then released back to the river. Jacobs and others are asking why the large number of salmon not needed for spawning are not being made available to anglers.

They are asking that an emergency fishing opening be made on the Feather River once DFW has reached its spawning quota.

Anglers are urged to write or contact the Fish and Game Commission at email address fgc@fgc.ca.gov, attend a meeting, or mail a letter to California Fish and Game Commission, 1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1320, Sacramento, CA 95814.

Meanwhile, Al Bunch of American Fly Fishing said that steelheading has continued to be good on the Feather River. He said that guides were drifting from from Oro Dam Bridge down to Palm Avenue, two miles below the Outlet, and catching steelies weighing anywhere from a pound to 6 or 7 pounds on prince and caddis-imitating nymphs dead-drifted under indicators.